Parker Towing lease delayed following criticism of dollars By John Cargile Staff Writer NORTHPORT – Criticism over a lease by Parker Towing from two council members and a resident caused the delay of a decision Monday night by the Northport City Council. Councilwoman Judy Hayes, Councilman Steve Acker and resident Kenneth Walters criticized a proposed lease by Parker Towing for a 10-foot deep section on the Black Warrior River for $1,000 a year to be tabled for the time being. “It’s an insult (lease) to the city,” said Councilwoman Hayes. Councilman Acker suggested “to table the issue until the lease could be reviewed,” and Walters said, “We are going to look like a junkyard up on the river,” and added that chemicals could be left in the river when the lease expired. The Council was expected to allow City Administrator Scott Collins enter into a contract with Parker Towing for $1,000 a year. It was all but a done deal until the meeting. Parker Towing of Northport approached the city about leasing a narrow, 10-foot deep section of riverfront in an inlet near the city’s river walk and near the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property. The property would serve as a backup site to secure barges. “I would like to see the agreement,” Acker said. “(Walters) brings up a point about the cleanup.” Parker Towing uses Oliver Lock and Dam as its primary location to dock the barges. Parker Towing is also the terminal operator at that dock. But there is a need for an overflow site, which is why the company approached the city with the proposal to rent the riverfront on a 10-year lease at $1,000 a year. But, Northport is not prepared to do any environmental impact study, Collins told the council. That would have to be done by an outside party, he said. The council will probably discuss the issue again at its next meeting, which has been rescheduled to Sept. 2 because Labor Day falls on its normal meeting day. The Council did allow Collins to negotiate a lease of a lot at Green Village by the Tuscaloosa County Baptist Association for $100 per month. Collins said members of the Tuscaloosa Baptist Association have asked about buying or leasing property in front of the subdivision. It once served as a community center. “They want to build a covered structure on the property,” Collins told the council. “It will be more than just a church. They want to teach English to the Spanish speaking community, hold services and maybe tutor students.” In other business, the council appointed Susan Rue and Jeffery Hogg as full members of the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustments, and Clause Steins and John Garner as supernumerary members. Jeff Redding was appointed to the city’s Civil Service Board. Janet Zeanah, executive director of Focus on Senior Citizens, approached the Council and said transportation services in Northport had increased 50 percent since last year. The agency added another driver and small bus to the area due mainly to the city’s funding.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:14:42 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015